KUCHING, April 23 — Sarawak will soon adopt the integration of solar energy into housing projects, in line with the state government’s commitment towards green energy, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

With more details to be announced early in May, Abang Johari said the green energy initiative will contribute towards environmental sustainability that will benefit the future generations.

“I have already instructed Sarawak Energy to look into the state having solar-powered smart homes.

With this, the excess of energy can be channelled to Sarawak Energy, which means that overall, this will be good enough for our future generations,” he said.

Citing on Sarawak Energy’s Sarawak Alternative Rural Electrification Scheme (SARES) project, Abang Johari stressed that the replacement of diesel-based energy into solar hybrid energy has benefitted the remote communities.

“In the past, they (longhouse residents) would use diesel to run generators to get power supply and this was a heavy burden for them. But today, we can supply electricity to longhouses using solar energy,” he said.

He said the state government’s initiative towards the green energy goals had received international attention, to which he added that he will be presenting a talk on green energy in the upcoming forum in Bali and Kuala Lumpur.

Abang Johari told this to reporters when met on the second day of his Hari Raya Open House at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here today, in the presence of the Head of State Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and wife Toh Puan Datuk Patinggi Raghad Kurdi Taib.

Thousands of visitors, both young and old, thronged BCCK to pay a Raya visit to Abang Johari and his wife Datin Patinggi Datuk Amar Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang.

Other guests included Deputy Women, Children and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Datuk Rosey Yunus, Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Rubiah Wang, Sarawak Business Federation president Dato Sri Abang Abdul Karim Tun Openg, Deputy Infrastructure and Port Development Minister Aidel Lariwoo, Deputy Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Minister Dr Ripin Lamat, and chief political secretary to the Premier Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman. — Borneo Post